The conversation...
She'd had an actual conversation with them. Most of them. Zen hadn't shown up, but there had been Ponygood, Sonic, Josh, DLB... And a new face, one that she had never heard from, but seemed so familiar, Green.
But there was no Creek. Instead, it was Keywii... He came, bringing an attitude that annoyed her, but also hope. Faith in the world she was in. Renewed strength and understanding...
She truly was on a quest to understand existence. And... that was okay.
Those three hours - they had been great. They started with her freaking out, alone, but then Ponygood had come, and they talked. Ponygood had come and talked to her. He'd felt... more real. She'd not appreciated him enough. Then Sonic came, and he was almost exactly as Twilence expected. Josh was a bit quieter, and DLB didn't say much... But they were all there. They talked about some deep things, about the meta, but also shared some stupid music left and right and had some fun with clouds.
Stupid clouds...
They'd learned more about GMBlackjack, thanks in part to Keywii, but also to Twilence digging around through the forums and such... Songs of the Spheres was always blocked, and more had been learned and...
Well it was just a nice experience.
And it had ended rather painfully. And she knew what it was. It was...
She opened her eyes. She saw Aradia punch Lore Thirst across the face. This did almost nothing - he slid a short ways, and Aradia had to escape through time. The exchange was short, almost too short to notice.
Twilence looked at Lore Thirst. "What... What have you done?"
"What I always wanted to do." He gestured at his chest - there was the Eye, embedded in him. Not her.
Twilence suddenly felt the need to throw up. She resisted the urge, looking down at her own chest - bare. Covered in her blood. Her mind was messy... And...
...Lore Thirst felt the remnants of Twilence's mind flee from the device. She was no longer connected in any way - it was all him. He knew she was struggling. He frowned. "You'll be fine."
"I... Lore... I have a world to save..."
"The world does not need you to save it." He suddenly got an inkling feeling that he was speaking in paradoxes.
"No... I need it..."
"You do not need it. You can help save the world without knowledge from beyond. Personally, I don't care one way or the other. I have what I want. All this knowledge..."
Twilence stood up and spread her wings aggressively, struggling to stand. "I... I will... You panned this!"
"Of course. I've always had it planned. I never intended for you to keep the Eye. I just needed to figure out how to let it accept me. I figured out how. And then that 'evil' Vriska came and told me Aradia had set up a trap - I'd fix your eye and then they'd stop me from taking it. So I took other measures. We are in the catacombs. Not even the Overseer can get in here - though apparently, Aradia can... I wonder how long that took..."
"You..." Twilence gagged.
Lore Thirst ignored her. He decided it was a good time to check in on the Vriska he had been working with...
~~~
The 'evil' Vriska was in the catacombs, angry, dragging a large bag behind her. "Vriska, do this! Vriska, do that! Vriska, I think that Lore Thirst guy is betraying us, go kill give him coercion! Siron, you... You suck. Imagine yourself as a literal douchebag filled with the shit of every fucktard that walked the collective Earths. That's you. ...Man, it feels good to be able to re-use material." She bristled. "Yes I am very much aware of that, please shut up, I have a crafty earth pony to mince because you've decreed it."
~~~
Lore Thirst made a "hmm" noise.
"W-what?" Twilence asked, still trying to process.
"It appears that 'evil' Vriska has figured out I have no intention of holding up my end of the bargain. How irksome."
"What... was your end?"
"Use the eye to summon the being she wanted at the altar. Or, Siron wanted, I suppose. I should be able to do it now, but I'm not stupid."
Twilence just glared at him.
"Regardless, perhaps I should take the chance to use this Influence of yours? Maybe they have some good ideas. Hmm..." He scrolled through the four messages. "Nope, just a stupid Sunbro, and talk of you and Vriska being impossible to kill. And of the Eye being removed. How prophetic."
Twilence'd had enough. She charged him - and he dodged. She shot a magic laser, he hit her on the head, knocking her out. "Let me say, I am glad you are very disoriented. Angry alicorns are not something I want to be on the business end of."
He rubbed his hooved together. "So, Influence, what's the plan? Run? Face her? Do what you do."
Then he received an Import that wasn't the Influence.
[POSSIBLE ENDINGS]
Pristine
Bittersweet
Warmonger
Dethroned
Steam
Rebuilder
Forgotten
Singularity
Adrift
Coward
Earned
Tattletale
Lattice
Supernova
Predetermined
Insanity
Servant
Grimdark
Hacker
Lore Thirst raised an eyebrow. That was interesting. The endgame was apparently upon this story. Nineteen possible outcomes. He doubted very much that he'd like the 'Pristine' ending. He knew he was not the hero.
"I wonder what they'll make of this..."
Then the eye lit up, and Lore Thirst experienced a real import...